Disk valve pulse jet engine



June 2, 1953 w E, ABEL 2,640,314

DISK VALVE PULSE JET ENGINE Filed Dec. 16, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2,1953 w. E. ABEL 2,640,314

DISK VALVE PULSE JET ENGINE Filedneo. 16, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 ByMMM/@Mm Umb/am Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATE'lGFFICEl 3Claims.

This invention relates to jet engines, and more particularly topropulsiva jet engines of the type suitable for use as power units foraircraft and other vehicles.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved jetengine which is simple in construction, light in weight, and veryeconomical in utilization of fuel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved jet engineof the pulse type wherein fuel and air are mixed in explosiveproportions, drawn into a combustion chamber, ignited, and then expelledfrom the engine, producing the desired thrusts, the engine involvingonly a few parts, which are inexpensive to manufacture, the engine beingsturdy in construction, and being very efcient in performance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional View taken throughan improved jet engine constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, the electrical ignition circuit of the engine being shown inschematic form;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the engine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 3 3of Figure 1 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing thevalve disc of the engine in ignition position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the valve disc ofthe engine in a position subsequent to ignition and approaching exhaust;

Figure 6 is a rear end view of the jet engine of Figure 1;

Figure '7 is an enlargement of the intermediate portion of Figure 3,showing in detail -view the planetary gear arrangement for driving thevalve disc of the engine;

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail elevational view showing the breakerpoints and operating cam of the ignition system for the engine, asemployed in Figure l.

Referring to the drawings, the engine comprises `an elongated shell orbody I I having a main portion I2 and a reduced tailportion i3. Mainportion I2 tapers at its forward end, as shown at I4, i

and is provided at said forward end with the air intake opening l5.Designated at I6 is the fuelsupply conduit, which is secured in thetapered forward Wall portion III of the body II and extends through saidportion I4 terminating in a ber I8 which is formed withdiametrically-opposed, radially-flaring openings I9, I2. Secured in thecentral portion of disc member I8 is a bearing sleeve 20. Designated at2| is a disc member formed with an axial sleeve 22 which is rotatablyreceived in the bearing sleeve 2|). Disc member 2| is formed withdiametrically-opposed,

vradially-daring openings 23, 23 which are registrable with therespective openings I9, I 9 of the fixed disc member I8. Y

Secured in the tail portion I3 is a diametricall'ydisposed bar member2li provided at its central portion with a bearing sleeve 25. Designatedat 25 is an axial shaft which is rotatably mounted at its forwardportion in the sleeve 22 and at its rear portion in the sleeve 25.Secured to the rear end of shaft 26 is a turbine wheel 21 which islocated in the tail portion I4 of body II, as shown in Figure 1. Shaft2t extends rotatably through a xed turbo-blower section 28 secured inthe tapered forward portion Ili of the body Secured to the shaft 26forwardly adjacent fixed turbo-blower section 28 is a turbo-blowerwheel29, and secured to said shaft rearwardly adjacent fixed turbo-blowersection 23 vis another turboblower wheel 38. The blades of wheels 29, 30and 2l are shaped and angled in the conventional manner to defineflaring nozzle passages therebetween, whereas the radial blades ofsection 23 are shaped to dene straight passages therebetween.

Secured on shaft 26 rearwardly adjacent valve disc 2| is a gear 3|.Secured to disc 2| concentrically with gear 3| isa ring gear 32 havinginwardly directed teeth.. Ring gear 32 has a peripheral, inwardlydirected. retaining flange 33, and rotatably positioned in the ring gearinwardly adjacent said iiange are respective planetary gears 34, 34which are in mesh with gear 3| and the teeth of ring gear 32. The gears3 I, 31| Iand 32 are arranged so that rotation of shaft 26 drives disc2| in the same direction as shaft 2E, but prefervably at from one-eighthto one-half the speed thereof.

Secured to disc 2| is a rearwardly tapering housing 35 which covers thegears and which carries at its rear end a sleeve 36 through which shaft26 rotatably extends. Secured to fixed disc I8 is a forwardly taperingannular shell 3l. Wheel t has centrally mountedthereon a circular plate38 rotatably received within the-forward end of shell 3l. Mounted withinthe compartment defined by shell 3l is a fixed bracket SS, shown inFigure 8, carrying the spaced contact members it and 4I. Member di) isrigid, whereas member fill is resilient. Member 6|! engages a cam 42secured on shaft 2t. Cam E2 has diametiicallyopposed projections it, i3engageable with contact member 4| to periodically move member 4| intoengagement with the rigid con-tact member 40 responsive to rotation ofshaft 26. The contact members 40 and 4I are insulated from each other attheir secured ends by an insulation block 44.

Designated at 45 is a spark plug secured in the Wall of body portion l2rearwardly of the valve disc 2 I, as shown in Figure 1. The contactmembers 40 and 4I are connected in the primary circuit of a conventionalignition system shown schematically in Figure 1, the high voltageterminal of the ignition coil 46 of the system being connected to thecenter electrode of the spark plug. A spark is provided across theelectrodes of the spark plug twice for each rotation of shaft 26 by theopening and closing of the breaker point members 4B and 4I.

In operation, the engine is started by rotating shaft 26 by any suitablemeans, for example, by directing a blast of air into opening I5 whichpasses through the members 29, 28, 3U and aligned openings I9 Iand 23and acts on the turbine wheel 21 to drive the shaft. Air and fuel aremixed in the chamber adjacent the intake opening I5 and forms anexplosive mixture which passes through the aligned openings I9 and 23into the main body portion I2. Since shaft 2B is rotating, openings 23,23 move out of registry with openings I9, I9, as shown in Figure 4, andignition then occurs, exploding the mixture. The gases of combustion areexpelled through the tail pipe I3, producing the propulsive thrust.These gases flow through the turbine wheel 2l, causing said wheel torotate shaft 26.

The gases are exhausted as disc 2| continues rotation, approximately tothe position shown in Figure 5. When the disc 2| has been rotated 180from its starting position, the openings 23, 23 again come into registrywith the openings I9, I9, allowing a new charge of explosive mixture tobe forced into the combustion chamber by the action of the wheels 29 and3U, which coact to define a blower unit rotated by the rotating of theturbine wheel 21. The charge is ignited by spark plug 45 shortly afteropenings 23, 23 move out of registry with openings I9, I 9, as shown inFigure 4, causing another propulsive jet pulse to be produced. The aboveaction repeats itself continuously, two pulses being produced for everyrevolution of disc valve 2l.

While a specific embodiment of a jet engine of the pulse type has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of vthe invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A jet engine comprising a tubular body having a tapering forward end,an air intake opening at the forward end of said body, an elongatedreduced rear end on said body, a first apertured disc rigidly secured inthe forward portion of said tubular body, an axial shaft rotatablymounted in said body and extending through said apertured disc, a blowerwheel carried on said shaft forwardly of said disc, a turbine wheelcarried on said shaft in said reduced rear end for rotating said shaft,means for injecting fuel into said body between the air intake at theforward ends of the body and the blower, a second apertured discrotatably mounted adjacent said first disc for cooperation with thefirst disc to intermittently admit the fuel charge into said bodyrearwardly of said disc, a rst gear secured to said shaft, a ring gearsecured to said second disc around said first gear, a planetary gear insaid ring gear meshing with the ring gear and the first gear andcoupling said second disc to said shaft, and ignition means in said bodyrearwardly of said discs.

2. A jet engine comprising a tubular body having a tapering forward end,an air intake opening at the forward end of said body, an elongatedreduced rear end on said body, a first apertured disc rigidly secured inthe forward portion of said tubular body, an axial shaft rotatablymounted in said body and extending through said apertured disc, a blowerwheel carried on said shaft forwardly of said disc, a turbine wheelcarried on. said shaft in said reduced rear end for rotating said shaft,means for injecting fuel into said body between the air intake openingat the forward end of the body and the blower, a second apertured discrotatably mounted adjacent said first disc for cooperation with thefirst disc to intermittently admit the fuel charge into said bodyrearwardly of said discs, a first gear secured to said shaft, reductiongearing coupling said first gear to said second disc for rotating saidsecond disc at a speed less than the speed of rotation of said shaft,and ignition means in said body rearwardly of said discs.

3. A j et engine comprising a tubular body having a tapering forwardend, an air intake opening at the forward end of said body, an elongatedreduced rear end on said body, a first apertured disc rigidly secured inthe forward portion of said tubular body, an axial shaft rotatablymounted in said body and extending through said apertured disc, a blowerwheel carried on said shaft forwardly of said disc, a turbine wheelcarried on said shaft in said reduced rear end for rotating said shaft,means for injecting fuel into said body between the air intake openingat the forward end of the body and the blower, a second apertured discrotatably mounted adjacent said first disc for cooperation with thefirst disc to intermittently admit the fuel charge into said bodyrearwardly of said discs, a first gear secured to said shaft, reductiongearing coupling said first gear to said second disc for rotating saidsecond disc at a speed less than the speed of rotation of said shaft,ignition means in said body rearwardly of said discs, and means on saidsecond disc for actuating said ignition means in timed relation to therotation of said second disc.

WILLIAM E. ABEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,474,359 Isacco June 28, 1949 -2,480,626 Bodine Aug. 30, 19492,485,813 Carlson Oct. 25, 1949 2,515,644 Goddard July 18, 19502,595,505 Bachle May 6, 1952 2,682,289 Anxionnaz July 8, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 935,322 France Feb. 2, 1948 640,228 GermanyDec. 28, 1936

